Monthly Thing - Thing #13

Before MILI, did you belong to any social networks? Which ones? What has been your experience as part of that network?
No, I haven't been a member. MILI certainly has peeked my interest. I think I will join Facebook this summer when I have more time to read it and figure out how it works.

How's Facebook? MySpace? Other social networks you joined?
I just joined Classroom 2.0 and I'm proud of me for doing that - it looks like a great site I'm going to pass onto some colleagues as soon as I'm done w/this. I just saw a really great Slide Show - I typed in "High School Sociology" - it will be a great clip to use when I teach a unit on Sociology and Technology.

I guess I did join a Social Network last summer. When I went to the AP US History class, we signed into the College Board's page. I can see where that would be REALLY helpful if you were teaching a class for the first time.

Did you have any trouble finding a social network that fit your interests? Does online social networking appeal to you personally? Why or why not?
Social Networks somewhat appeal to me. I'd like to find a social network or Ning that is comprised of High School Sociology teachers, similar to the way the College Board has them for AP Teachers.

They appeal to me in that I'm selfish and my time is precious, so if I can find an answer or a better way of doing something, that sounds great. However, I'm not one to have a lot of patience sitting in front of a computer, so I wouldn't say it would be my first communication choice. I'd rather actually talk to someone.

Is online social networking used in your professional sphere in some way? If so, how? If not, can you think of a way using an online social networking site might be beneficial to your educational community, whether with colleagues or students?
I can see where it would be useful and did try to set a Wiki up w/our Dept. It didn't go very far. People don't have more time to spend on technology.

If you set up a social network using Ning, how did it go? I didn't try this.

Weekly Blog

I'm on a roll here ...

In the 3/16/09 issue of Time, author Lev Grossman wrote an article entitled "Quitting Twitter". He writes, "Its the social network du jour. But what do we really get out of it, aside from being interrupted?"

Of course I felt this way already, with the use of e-mail. There is something about getting an e-mail and seeing it flash in the corner of the screen and needing to answer it right away. It is like when the phone rings, I have to answer it!

I think about the days when I started to teaching to today. I didn't even have a computer in the classroom I was student teaching in. The school I was at still hand wrote attendance. Today, I'm interrupted by the need to be on e-mail, check e-mail, all the time!!! To me, something like Twitter, sounds like e-mail on steriods.

Lev Grossman writes about his recent obsession w/a Famous Writer he likes who tweets. The most profound thing he shared wa "the more interested I get in Famous Writer's life, the less interested I am in my own." Later he says "I think I'm in danger of mistaking my connection to Famous Writer for an actualy human relationship instead of what it is - a slow drip of basically trivial data that I've been using as an excuse to get out of the hard work of being alone w/myself". Whoa. And the last line - "Just remember, the un-Twittered life is still worth living". I think I'll stick w/that one.

Weekly Post 3/20

Being the good student I am, here is my weekly Blog.

3/18/09 - NY Times (couldn't find the proper underline button) online:

"As Jurors Turn to Wed, Mistrials Are Popping Up" by John Swartz

The article included about three examples, one a 8 wk. long trial, that was declared a mistrial due to jurors looking up information (i.e. Wikipedia, Google Earth), doing research on the case, Twittering, or even posting information on Facebook that a "big announcement" is coming on Monday.

Obviously, jurors aren't supposed to seek info. from outside the courtroom. In fact, there are very specific state by state laws on what evidence can be used.

"It is really impossible to control it," said the Pres. of the Am. Society of Trial Consultants. (No wonder why we as teachers have a hard time controlling it in the classroom!)

Another quote I found insightful by the author was "but w/the internet now as close as a juror's poclet, the risk has grown more immediate - and instinctual".

As a taxpayer I find this really frustrating. Not only does this open the doors for mistrials, but also appeals.

Again, more fuel to my fire - Technology is Overrated!!! :)

Weekly blog:

We get next week off due to Spring Break, right?

So I’m actually going to write this on word first since Blogger is updating some things. Go figure – I’m never on here and the one time they are, they are updating.

I actually have something neat to talk about this week. I heard it on last weekend’s Sound Money show on NPR. Chris Farrell was talking about “Time Banking” (timebanking.org). I went to the site and copied and pasted its intro:

Time Banks Weave Community One Hour at a Time
For every hour you spend doing something for someone in your community, you earn one Time Dollar. Then you have a Time Dollar to spend on having someone do something for you. It's that simple. Yet it also has profound effects. Time Banks change neighborhoods and whole communities. Time Banking is a social change movement in 22 countries and six continents.
Sound Money shared an example of how in LA, a costume designer time banked hrs. by doing alterations for people, while someone returned what she needed, which was someone to go to her home and give her diabetic dog shots twice a day. She couldn’t afford the shots, so she trades her time or her “trade”/skill instead. What is neat is that people who are part of this all have to be in the same zip code. In this particular example, there were 75 people that you could bank time w/for different services, such as carpentry, roofing, cooking, etc.

This was shared on Sound Money because of the value it can bring to people, particularly in a downward economy. The guy who created it said “time is a variable that has value”. It is also being praised as a huge community bridge builder, as it makes people locally interdependent on each other – something that has been lost w/the information superhighway and globalization revolution.

I think it sounds pretty cool. And they don’t have one is Chaska yet. Any takers? ☺